HyperPlay – a Web3-native game launcher and aggregator of multiple game stores – recently announced $12 million in Series A funding co-led by Griffin Gaming Partners and BITKRAFT Ventures along with MetaMask’s parent company ConsenSys. The other investors in the round include Ethereal Ventures, Delphi, Game7, Mirana Ventures, Monoceros Ventures, and others.
HyperPlay was launched in November of last year as a joint collaboration between MetaMask, the leading self-custody Web3 wallet, and Game7, a DAO focused on building Web3 gaming infrastructure. Plus HyperPlay aims to make interoperability the default for all Web3 games through a wallet overlay on top of games that allows players to carry their MetaMask wallet directly inside of native or browser-based games.
The last 2 years featured tremendous growth in Web3 gaming, but legacy platforms required that most Web3 games be structured as walled gardens that lack the kinds of interoperable use cases that Web3 game developers want to build. And when game developers chose to build greater Web3 utility into their games, they faced censorship, de-platforming, and massive taxation from web2 monopolies like Apple and Steam. This round of funding signifies the dire need for seamless interoperability across the Web3 gaming ecosystem. With this round of funding, HyperPlay plans to scale, fully enhancing its flagship game launcher and increasing its international presence.
HyperPlay essentially prides itself on serving both developers and users alike. Unlike Apple and Steam – which levy 30% taxes on game developers – HyperPlay is developer loyal. And HyperPlay charges no taxes on in-game economies, instead monetizing optional features like on-ramping or token swaps.
The company supports all EVM-compatible chains on the user side, enabling players to bring their wallets, tokens, and NFTs into every native or browser game. And HyperPlay’s launcher integrates an in-game wallet overlay, eliminating the need for users to leave the game and use a separate website for NFT transactions. While HyperPlay supports games on all MetaMask-supported chains, the company has teased that some special features are coming to the Mantle L2, an Ethereum scaling solution with an emphasis on gaming.
KEY QUOTES:
“HyperPlay ensures there is a home for games that is open and developer-friendly, encouraging technical innovation in games and accruing more value to developers versus traditional constructs. The platform will enable a better overarching user experience for gamers across all games, thanks to a persistent data layer for discovery, assets, profiles, achievements, and more. Jacob is a core contributor to MetaMask’s success, and we are excited about HyperPlay’s close partnership with the MetaMask team and Game7.”
— Pierre Planche, Partner at Griffin Gaming Partners
“We are impressed with HyperPlay’s developer-first approach, making them the Web3 game launcher of choice. Giving game developers the freedom to deploy on any chain they choose while allowing players to carry their wallet, NFTs, tokens, and achievements into every game. This sets them apart from others in the space, while the launcher offers unique usability and convenience for users. We can see a world where HyperPlay branches over into mobile platforms and web2 games.”
— Malte Barth, Partner at BITKRAFT Ventures
“HyperPlay allows developers to build new kinds of gaming experiences with MetaMask. We are delighted to continue supporting HyperPlay as it disrupts not only the Web3 gaming landscape but the broader Web2 gaming industry as well.”
— Ezgi Cengiz, Senior Product Manager at MetaMask
“Since announcing HyperPlay in November of last year, we’ve been focused on building a platform that empowers both developers and users to navigate the Web3 gaming realm effortlessly. We look forward to leveraging the capital raise to strengthen our product as the premier Web3 gaming platform and continue to expand our global footprint.”
— JacobC.eth, Founder of HyperPlay
